NAS Daily 15 OCT 19

airtrainer 14 Oct 19, 21:56

News

Commercial

ADEX: Russian Helicopters eyes Korean KA-32 upgrades
Russian Helicopters is proposing to upgrade South Korea’s large fleet of Kamov KA-32 coaxial rotor helicopters with better engines, avionics, and other systems.
The upgrades include the installation of the Klimov VK-2500PS-02 engine, replacing the TV3-117s that now power the fleet, as well as a glass cockpit, according to Russian Helicopters. A new firefighting system is proposed for Korean-operated examples used for this mission.
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Costs pile up for airlines as Boeing 737 Max grounding enters eighth month
The worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 Max, now in its eighth month, is driving up costs for airlines as they cancel thousands more flights into 2020.
American and United this week joined Southwest in removing the planes, grounded since mid-March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people, from their schedules until January.
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Airlines

European Commission approves $419 million loan for Condor
The European Commission (EC) cleared the way for a government-backed emergency loan granted to leisure carrier Condor, giving the company much needed financing for the winter season and more time to find a new investor. The EC said Oct. 14 it “found that the measure will help ensure the orderly continuation of flight services, in the interest of air passengers.
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UK sets out plans to overhaul airline insolvency process
New UK legislation is to be put forward to reform the airline insolvency process in order to protect and repatriate passengers more effectively, as well as enhance regulatory oversight of airlines in distress.
Details of the proposed bill have been disclosed by the UK government following the formal state opening of the country's parliament on 14 October.
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Clark: Emirates A380 fleet will operate into the mid-2030s
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark expects to operate an Airbus A380 fleet for the next 15 years. “We have around 110 A380s in service, with another 13 to be delivered. After that, the program ceases. As far as Emirates is concerned, these aircraft will fly into the mid-2030s. There is a long time to go before this aircraft will depart from Emirates’ fleet,” Clark said during a podcast.
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Air Austral looks at long-haul renewal after A220 deal
Reunion carrier Air Austral is examining a possible renewal of its long-haul fleet from around 2023, following its decision to acquire Airbus A220s for short-haul modernisation.
The airline has signed a purchase agreement for three A220-300s which will be used to replace its pair of Boeing 737-800s and its single ATR 72.
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Air Changan applies to fly overseas
Chinese domestic carrier Air Changan has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate international flights.
The CAAC states in a notice that the carrier, a Hainan Airlines subsidiary, applied to change its operating scope from domestic passenger and cargo services, to international flights to nearby countries.
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Southwest Airlines pilots don't expect Boeing 737 Max back until February
The Boeing 737 Max won't return to service at Southwest Airlines until February at the earliest, the union that represents the airline's pilots said Monday.
That would be a month later than the low-cost carrier currently expects.
Boeing is scrambling to finish software changes and put them in front of government regulators for review to get the manufacturer's best-selling plane flying again.
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Airports

Indonesia's Angkasa Pura II to manage Lampung airport
Indonesian airport operator Angkasa Pura II (AP II) has signed a tentative agreement to manage the Raden Inten II airport, located in Lampung, for 30 years.
In 2018, Raden Inten II airport handled two million passengers, and 16,000 aircraft movements. A new 9,650sqm passenger terminal was inaugurated in March.
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More traffic highs than lows for Fraport's airports in 2019
With the the exception of a handful of airports in Greece and Bulgaria, the Fraport Group's global airport portfolio have all registered an increase in passenger traffic in the first nine months of 2019.
Fraport, which released its global year-to-date traffic figures today, reveals that 54.1 million passengers (+2.3%) passed through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in the nine months ending September 30.
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Self-driving wheelchairs ready for passenger tests at Tokyo-Narita Airport
New self-driving wheelchairs being tested at Tokyo-Narita International Airport are capable of independently detecting and avoiding obstacles.
The latest round of tests for self-driving wheelchairs have been completed at Tokyo-Narita International Airport by All Nippon Airways (ANA).
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Humanoid robots begin operating in Christchurch Airport’s terminal
Technologies such as humanoid robots, autonomous shuttles and virtual reality are all being trialled at Christchurch Airport.
Robot Pepper has been added to Christchurch Airport’s study of disruptive technologies, alongside the autonomous smart shuttle and virtual reality training for its fire service.
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Military

ADEX: ROKAF F-35As in show debut amid order talk
The Lockheed Martin F-35A appears likely to secure a 20 aircraft follow up order from Seoul, as the type makes its ADEX debut in the livery of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).
One example is in the show’s static display, with three jets to appear in the flying display during the opening ceremony.
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Aviation Quote

A commercial aircraft is a vehicle capable of supporting itself aerodynamically and economically at the same time.

- William B. Stout, designer of the Ford Tri-Motor.